Power Rangers: Last Engage 3: Rotation: Skyfall
by rylansato
Summary: Ryan ends up in wartime Imperial Japan, specifically Hiroshima. He is torn between his duty as a ranger to protect innocent people and to maintain the timeline. At first, it isn't as hard as he thinks but the more time he spends with the locals, as well as a particular girl, he finds that struggle to be extremely hard.
1. Chapter 1

POWER RANGERS: LAST ENGAGE: ROTATION: SKYFALL

1

Ryan pulled himself from the river. He was out of breath and somehow uninjured. His jump from the bridge to avoid the soldiers was far from graceful. It appeared epic in his mind but he probably looked like a retard flailing about until he hit the water. The soldiers had fired into the water but Ryan figured they didn't know that bullets are stopped dead when they hit water.

No one was nearby when emerged from the river. He staggered up the embankment to the road. He assumed more soldiers would be coming to look for him. He quickly jumped into a nearby alleyway. From the looks of things, it would be dark soon.

He got further away from the river and tried to keep to the alleyways. However, he wasn't always fortunate to have alleyways available to him. He came to the edge of an alleyway, right next to a road. There were several people along the road. There was no way he was going to make it across the road without being seen.

"Hey, you," a voice said from above. Ryan's head shot upward to see someone dressed in a black and pink ninja outfit crouching on the roof. "What are you doing here?"

"I'd like to know the same thing," Ryan said. The ninja jumped down and stood in an attack position.

"Are you here to spy on us?" the ninja asked.

Ryan sighed. "These same questions are really annoying. Can't you guys announce this on a PA system or something so you don't have to ask the same retarded questions again. No, I'm not a spy. I don't even know how I got here."

"I promise I won't beat you up too badly before hauling you off to the prison," the ninja said. She charged at him. She threw a few punches and he blocked some before one of them landed across his face. He stumbled backward and out into the open. The people noticed him and ran off, afraid of the American. The pink ninja charged again. Ryan deflected some of her punches and kicks. She was quite skilled and he couldn't retaliate effectively.

Suddenly, a siren went off causing the ninja to stop in her tracks. It sounded like an air raid siren. Ryan looked to the sky but it was too dark to see anything.

"We have to go," the ninja said.

"What?" Ryan asked. "I thought you'd just leave me here to die from the bombing."

"That isn't a siren for bombs," she said. "That's a siren telling everyone to get inside because the Darkness is coming."

"The Darkness?" Ryan asked.

The ninja grabbed him and took off running down the street.

"It's a very powerful yokai that has terrorized Hiroshima for a few weeks now. My team and I have been unable to defeat it."

"If I'm the enemy then why not leave me here?" Ryan asked.

"Because no one should be subjugated to that thing. The soldiers might enjoy doing that but I'm not cruel like them. When I first saw you, I had wondered if the soldiers had let you go so that the Darkness would attack you. They usually do that with prisoners."

"The soldiers did find me but I was able to get away from them," Ryan said. "I was trying to stay hidden but I guess I'm a rookie compared to a ninja."

Suddenly, a creature leapt from the shadows and grabbed the ninja. This creature looked like something Lord Zedd would have created. It was completely grotesque.

"It's morphin' time," Ryan said. He held out his morpher and activated it. "GREEN RANGER POWER!"

He ran over and kicked the creature in the face. It fell off the ninja who got to her feet. She was shocked to see Ryan's ability.

2

Ryan was put on a cot in a way that was between gently laid and dropped. The pink sat next to him and pulled his shirt off. She wiped his brow with a cloth. She then moved to the wounds on his torso. She touched around the cuts and gashes on his torso with her rag.

Ryan awoke with a gasp. It startled all of them. Another person in blue stepped forward and raised his hand with his index and middle fingers extended. The pink ninja held out her arm to stop him. Ryan relaxed as best he could despite the pain. There was a light directly above him but it wasn't very bright. He could see the ninja in pink next to him and the faint outline of others nearby but no details. The pink ninja lightly touched the wounds with the rag. Ryan winced at her touch.

"He's not going to cause any trouble," she said.

"He's an American," the guy said. "They've been causing a lot of trouble for us."

"He's been beaten to hell and back. He's all cut up and can barely move. What do you expect him to do? The Darkness had its way with him. He saved my life."

"He's a Power Ranger," she said.

"So, the Americans are sending rangers at us?" the guy in blue said.

Ryan shook his head. "No, I'm not here because of the military." He struggled to speak through the pain.

"Then what are you doing here," another girl asked. She was dressed in a white ninja style outfit. Everyone in the room was dressed in a ninja-esque outfit, just in different colors. This girl stood with her arms crossed and gave an aura as though she was the leader of this group. Ryan always assumed the red rangers were the leaders but he should know better as Trini, the yellow ranger, is his team's leader.

"I don't know how I got here," Ryan said. "I woke up here and escaped from the soldiers and then was attacked by her and then that fucker you call the Darkness tried to take a bite out of me."

"Is your team in Japan too?" the man in blue asked.

"I don't think so," Ryan said. "I don't know where they are. We were all attacked separately. I was attacked after a few others were already taken."

"Who attacked you?"

"His name is Lord Zedd."

"Did you say Zedd?" the girl in white asked.

"Yeah why?"

"We've heard that name before. The Shinkengers reported that name during an assassination attempt of the emperor."

"Which one?" Ryan asked.

"The one in the twenties," the girl in pink said. "You know about those?"

"I love history," Ryan said.

"Does America have that kind of intel about what happens over here?" the girl in white asked. Ryan was hesitant but knew he had no choice but to reveal his origins.

"I know about it because I'm from the future where Japan and America are close allies."

"Well, who wins this war?" the guy in blue asked.

"America will win this war in August of 1945," Ryan said.

"That is two years from now," he said. "But Japan is beating the Americans."

"Japanese propaganda but the Marines are island hopping right now to the Japanese mainland. But don't worry, they won't invade during the war because it will end before then. Anyway, back to that assassination attempt, how did Zedd play into that?"

"We don't know that," the girl in pink said. "We just know that assassin, Fumiko Kaneko had a relationship with Park Yeol."

"Wait, she had connections with the Koreans?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, they were lovers."

Ryan thought for a moment. "This could have some tie to how my predecessors were sent to North Korea."

"North Korea?" the girl in pink asked.

Ryan shook his head. "I'll tell you later. I didn't realize that Zedd was involved this far back."

"So, what's your name?" the girl in pink asked.

"Ryan. What's yours?"

"I'm Akane. I'm the pink ranger of the Kakurangers." Ryan wasn't used to hearing the Japanese name for the Samurai and Ninja Rangers. He was curious what they would call his team. He would have to ask them later…although his team technically didn't exist yet.

"Who do you fight regularly?" Ryan asked.

"We fight the Yokai. They're Japanese monsters that feed off emotions from people. The Darkness not only feeds off fear but also feeds on people too," Akane said.

"I'd like to help out until I can figure out how to get back to my own time," Ryan said.

"How do we know you can trust you?" the guy in black said.

"I'm also a power ranger," Ryan said. "That should be enough."

"It is for me," Akane said. Ryan gave her a smile.

"I'm worried about the people," the girl in white said. "The fact there's an American running around freely will unnerve them to say the least. The soldiers definitely won't like it."

"I'll stay with him," Akane said. "I'll be his escort."

"Okay," she said. "He's your responsibility."

"With his help," Akane said. "We can save the city."

Ryan felt uneasy at that statement. He'll do what he can against monsters but when it comes to the course of history, that's a different battle. A battle he wasn't sure he wanted to fight.

3

Ryan and Akane walked through the streets of Hiroshima. Ryan could feel so many eyes on him. The people veered away from him as if he was diseased. The soldiers put their hands on their weapons to show they were willing to put him down if they needed. Ryan was sure they wanted to put an end to him right then and there. Akane was his life insurance. One soldier approached them, staring directly at Ryan with his hand on his sidearm. Akane knew what he was up to.

"Back off, Sergeant," she said. "He's with me."

"He's the enemy," he said. "He needs to watch himself. He wouldn't want to see me get angry."

"Then what happens?" Ryan asked. The sergeant got closer to Ryan, with is face only inches away. Ryan could smell the guy's bad breath. Akane pushed the sergeant away and stood between them.

"Go back to your post, Sergeant. You don't want to start something you and your men can't finish," she said. The sergeant reluctantly started back to his post but didn't take his eyes off Ryan. Ryan stared right back at him until he and Akane started walking again.

"What did you do back home?" Akane asked.

"I'm a high school student," he said.

"Really?" Akane asked. "Usually high school students are too scared to stand up to Sergeant Kimura."

"How many American high school students have you seen around here?" Ryan asked with a laugh.

"Fair enough," Akane said. "How did you become a ranger?"

"I was recruited," Ryan said. "My sister was kidnapped by Zedd and that was one of the reasons I became one. What about you? What was your life like before becoming a ranger and before the war?"

"To be honest, I don't remember," she said. "The Kakurangers have been around for a long time. It's always been a generational thing. Each of the powers have been passed down and each generation have trained so they can be ready to accept the powers."

"How do you decide on a leader of the team?"

"For our team, white is always the leader because it's the oldest of the powers," Akane said. "Red usually takes point but white gives the orders."

"Interesting," Ryan said. "Yellow is our leader but it's because she was a ranger before the rest of us. Although, we haven't been a team long before we were all separated."

"Separated?"

Ryan nodded. "I was with my other sister who is also a ranger, and I saw her get pulled into her locker. A pair of hands just reached out and grabbed her. When I looked into her locker, she was gone. Then those same hands reached out and grabbed me before I had a chance to react. Next thing I know, I'm here."

"Well, I'm sure it's a lot different than what you expected," Akane said.

"That's an understatement," Ryan said. "To be fair, I can only gather so much information from history books. They are clearly lacking a lot of information."

"Is it okay for me to ask how much Japan survives after the war?"

"You mean if Japan stays its own country?"

Akane nodded. "Yeah. The Japanese army has invaded China and Korea and are pretty much destroying their culture."

"Contrary to Japanese propaganda, America has no interest in obliterating Japan. It just wants to end the war but Japan won't surrender. After the war, Japan drops the imperialistic attitude and focuses a lot on technology. It does keep what makes it Japan, so don't worry. America won't change that."

"If Japan doesn't surrender then how does the war end?" Akane asked.

"Eventually, Japan does surrender but there are two events that cause it."

"Which are?"

"I can't tell you," Ryan said. "Believe me, I want to tell you and I want to help everyone here but I don't know if I can bear the responsibility of changing history so drastically. If I do then many more people could die that didn't die before."

A blood curdling scream filled the air. Ryan and Akane snapped their heads in the direction from which it came. They sprinted off in that direction. People moved out of their way except the group of soldiers who tried to run faster to beat them to the scene. The sergeant was attempting to get Ryan to do something that would result in him getting thrown in prison. Ryan was tempted to just stab the guy and be done with it.

They reached the river's bank. A crowd of people were surrounding something. Others were keeping at a safe distance. Once people saw Ryan, many of them backed off even further. The Japanese sergeant pushed his way past those grouped together. Once they cleared, Ryan saw a body on the ground. He and Akane got closer before a soldier stopped them. The sergeant came over to the two rangers.

"This is a murder," he said. "It has nothing to do with you two."

"If it's related to the Darkness then it has everything to do with us," Akane said. While Akane argued with the sergeant, Ryan subtly poked his head around to get a look at the body. He knew he couldn't get any closer to it without getting into it with the soldiers. He did notice something about the body that seemed familiar. Then he realized what was so familiar.

He turned to Akane and put an arm around her waist, pulling her away. She was surprised by the sudden action but was also surprised she didn't mind his arm around her.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I noticed something about that body," he said. "It had the same clothes on as the Darkness did when it attacked us."

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"It would seem that the locals are turning into the Darkness," Ryan said.

"That would explain the disappearances," Akane said. "We just assumed they were eaten by the Darkness as we have found remains of its victims."

"Looks like here is more to this Yokai than originally thought," Ryan said.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan and the Ninja Rangers attacked the Darkness in waves. Despite looking like a zombie, the yokai was very agile and proficient in fighting. It deflected kicks and weapon attacks from the rangers. It took swipes at the rangers. Sparks flew when its hand made contact with their armor. Ninja Blue and Ninja White jumped in from both sides and grabbed its arms. Ninja Yellow sprinted in with sword drawn and stabbed the yokai in the back. He brought the sword upward, bringing the blade out of the yokai through the shoulder.

The yokai effect quickly vanished and all was left was the decomposing body of its latest victim. The rangers lowered their guards, knowing the Darkness wouldn't return until the next day.

 _At this rate, there won't be anyone left to bomb._ Ryan thought to himself.

"How the hell do we beat this thing?" Ninja Black asked. "Any time we mortally wound the bastard, the yokai leaves the body and disappears."

"Maybe it's something we can only destroy when it's in its true form," Ryan said.

"If only we could find it when it's in its true form," Ninja White said.

"Yeah, this thing is better at hiding than we are," Akane said.

"It also doesn't help when other yokai attack too," Ninja Blue said.

"Anyway, I guess we're done for the day as far as the Darkness is concerned," Ninja White said.

The group dispersed in separate directions except for Akane and Ryan. The American power ranger was her responsibility and that meant he also stayed with her at her home. Ninja Yellow demorphed from his ranger uniform into his standard ninja attire. He watched Ryan and Akane walk off together, noticing just how close they had become. The two of them walked side by side, their hands almost touching. Ninja Yellow sneered to himself before leaping away.

"So, tell me more about your country," Akane said.

"I've told you a lot about it these past few months," Ryan said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a spy trying to get special intel on the States."

"What if I were?" Akane asked. "What would you do?"

"Either I'd have to fight you," Ryan said. "Or I'd just give you the intel."

"Why would you just give it to me?"

"Pretty girls are my weakness," Ryan said. "And you're as pretty as they come." Even though Akane's face was mostly hidden behind her ninja mask, Ryan could tell she was blushing.

"You've lived here for a little over a month now," Akane said. "Is it what you expected?"

"To be fair," Ryan said. "I never expected to visit Imperial Japan during the middle of World War Two. Still seems better than North Korea."

"That's the second time you've mentioned North Korea," Akane said.

"As a result of this war, Korea will split between north and south. America will back the south and the north will have the Russians helping them. North Korea closes its borders to the world but threatens to the world with nuclear missiles. My first mission as a ranger involved me going there and rescuing one of our own. However, there is a similarity I've noticed."

"Which is?"

"The demand of unwavering loyalty to their country," Ryan said.

"Isn't that normal?" Akane asked.

"Only to a degree," Ryan said. "I acknowledge wrong doings my country has done, and I don't always agree with its actions. If I were to do that here or in North Korea, then I'd be jailed or killed. Even right now in America, I could voice my opinion against the war and nothing would happen. Sure, some people would be unhappy and voice their displeasure with me, but the country couldn't do anything against me for it."

"Wow," Akane said. "Sounds great. Don't get me wrong, I love my country, but its war machine is doing too much."

 _You're not joking._

The two walked to the riverbank and sat down. Akane removed her mask and lowered her hood. Ryan noticed a concerned look on her face.

"How does America win this war?" Akane asked.

Ryan let out a breath. "We develop a super weapon and drop it in August of forty-five. It'll wipe out the entire city and kill seventy thousand people. It will happen again a few days later in another city and another seventy thousand will die in the blast alone. More people will die from the radiation. It's what allowed America to end the war."

Akane looked horrified. She couldn't believe such an event. "Which cities are hit?"

"The first bombing will be…"

Ryan as cut off as something nailed him across the face. He grabbed his face in pain just as he felt a foot kick him down the river bank. Akane shot to her feet but was quickly grabbed. Once Ryan stopped rolling, just before the river's edge, he looked up to see a group of soldiers had surrounded them. Two soldiers were coming down the bank toward him.

"The fuck do you think you're doing?" Akane asked.

"You spoke of treason," the soldier said. "You know the punishment for that."

"You can't do anything to me. I'm a power ranger," Akane said.

"You said the Empire of Japan will lose to the Americans. There is nothing more treasonous than that," the soldier said. He got closer to Akane to where his bad breath was suffocating. He pushed some hair out of her face.

"You have a nice face," he said. "I may have other plans for you and after that I'll forget the whole thing. But, my subordinates will need convincing to forget too."

"GREEN RANGER POWER!"

Ryan leapt from the river's edge to the top of the bank with two unconscious soldiers in his arms. He dropped them carelessly before pulling his Dragon Dagger. "This isn't Nanjing," Ryan said. "How much of a coward piece of shit do you have to be to rape the people you're supposed to protect."

"We are protecting the emperor," the soldier said. "That is the job of the people."

"Hirohito doesn't agree with this war," Ryan said.

"You filthy…" the soldier lunged at Ryan but the green ranger sidestepped him and sent him tumbling down the bank. He kicked another in the face, picked him up and threw him into the three remaining soldiers. Akane threw her head back, slamming it into the face of the soldier holding her. He stumbled back and she uppercut him. His feet actually left the ground before landing on his back. The soldier that threated to rape her returned to the top of the bank. Her head snapped in his direction. In a blur, probably using her ninja speed, she grabbed Ryan's Dragon Dagger and attacked the soldier. She kicked him in the chest and he fell back. She pressed her foot on his groin. She pointed the weapon directly at the man's face as if she knew how to use it.

"If you or anyone else touches me again, I will castrate the entire military starting."

Ryan could hear the venom in her voice that could kill a person faster than the most poisonous snake. If he was going to pursue her, he would have to be careful. Akane turned and tossed the weapon back to Ryan. He holstered the weapon as Akane turned her attention back to the soldier.

"You can also bet that if anything happens to me, my American friend here will hunt you down and do worse things to you than what the army did to the Chinese."

While she wasn't wrong, he would go after any one that tried to harm her, he wondered why she would think that. Had their relationship changed and no one told him? He wasn't complaining as he'd love to start one with her, but he'd just like to know first.

Akane threw the soldier into the river before grabbing Ryan to walk to wherever she wanted to go. She was in a bad mood and he was going to let her do what she wanted right now.


	3. Chapter 3

"AKANE!" Ryan shouted as he sprinted toward the edge of the cliff. He planted one foot on the edge before pushing off into the air. He saw Akane for only a moment before she disappeared in the water. The water's threshold was fast approaching. He braced himself before slamming into the water. He breached the surface of the water and looked around to get his bearings. His face stung viciously from the impact of the water. He saw two the yokai standing on the cliff's edge watching him. They weren't going to give up so easily. He had to get himself and Akane to safety. He looked around for Akane. He spotted her pink outfit floating in the river, being taken away by the current. He swam with the current to catch up with her. He grabbed her and pulled her to the other side of the river. She wasn't breathing.

"God damn it, Akane," he said. "I'm not going to lose you this way." He pumped her chest and breathed into her mouth, doing all the CPR techniques to get her to start breathing again. He had to hurry because he knew the yokai would be on him if he didn't move from this spot. He pressed against her chest several more times.

Suddenly, she coughed up the water in her lungs. She coughed for a few moments before she started to breath normally. She was disoriented and didn't immediately know where she was.

"Where...?" she started to say but a hand covered her mouth. Her eyes widened from shock but she then realized it was Ryan who was covering her mouth. He held his finger to his mouth to silently tell her to keep quiet. He then slowly motioned to the embankment above them. His Dragon Dagger materialized in his hand. He held it in a defensive manner while he focused on the ground above them. Akane heard the sounds of footsteps nearby. They were close. Very close. The footsteps started moving away from them. Ryan listened intently until he couldn't hear them anymore.

"Come on," he said slinging her arm around his shoulders. "We have to get moving before the yokai find us."

"Why not morph and fight them?" she asked.

"You're in no condition to fight right now and I can't take both of them on and defend you. We have to retreat."

They slowly moved from their hiding spot and out into the open, Ryan being very cautious about their surroundings, wondering if the yokai were really gone.

"We need to find a better place to hide," Ryan said. "We can't make it back to the city in your condition."

The two of them found a cave not far from the river. They ventured deep into the cave before Ryan felt it was safe enough to set up camp. After setting Akane down, he gathered a pile of rocks, an easy task as they were surrounded by them, and put them in a pile. Making a normal fire would be hazardous as it would fill up the cave with smoke since there was no ventilation. He wasn't keen on dying from smoke inhalation. He aimed the blade of his Dragon Dagger at the pile and fired a constant green colored beam at them until they glowed brightly. Akane moved closer to the glowing pile to warm up.

"The wound on your back is still bleeding," Ryan said. "I'm going to have to treat it." Akane dug through her pouch on her belt before producing some bandages. Ryan knelt behind her to examine the wound. "You're gonna have to take off your shirt."

Akane, embarrassed, slowly pulled off her shirt, also using it to cover her front. Ryan cleaned up the wound with his own wet shirt before patching it up. The patches wouldn't last unless he wrapped and that meant wrapping it around the front of her torso.

"Okay," he said. "I dealt with the wound itself but I'll need to wrap it."

"I guess it can't be helped," Akane said. She raised her arms to allow Ryan to wrap her wound. He did his best not to rub up against her breasts but there were several times he misjudged the distance and ended up placing a hand on one of her breasts. She didn't necessarily protest in anger but each time he did it, she inhaled sharply. Each time was followed by a quick apology.

"All done," he said. He started to move but she grabbed him.

"It's okay," she said. "Stay there." He obeyed her wish and kept his position behind her. She leaned back against him. She pulled his arms around her stomach and held them there. He could feel the faint outlines of her abs.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For making you take care of me like this."

"What are you talking about?" he asked. "If this is anyone's fault it's those damned yokai that did it. Those bastards got the drop on us. I thought that yokai weren't able to come to Miyajima."

"It would seem that things have changed," Akane said. "This island is sacred and they aren't supposed to be able to come here."

"Once I find those two, I'm going to take them out. I almost lost you. I couldn't let that happen. You mean too much to me." Akane slightly repositioned herself to look at Ryan. He stared back at her. He knew he said too much but he might as well tell her everything now. "I know it feels wrong because we were never supposed to meet and our countries are currently at war with each other but these feelings are maddening. So much so because of what I know will happen. I don't know if I'll ever return to my own time but if not then I want to spend my time here with you. And with what happens in Aug..."

He was cut off by Akane kissing him.


	4. Chapter 4

Ryan walked out of a store with some food. He had now been in Hiroshima for months now. Mostly everyone had grown accustomed to him but he could tell they were still a little uneasy. It was usually the shop owners that were the friendliest to him. They seemed to enjoy his American accented Japanese and always wanted to have a conversation with him. Despite the rationing, they'd always give him a little extra. He wasn't sure why though. It did make living here easier as he did not know if he'd ever get home. The Ninja Rangers have accepted him for the most part. Ninja Blue is still suspicious of him. Ryan suspected they all were as none of them would tell him their names except Akane.

He walked out of the urban area and into the mountains. He came into a small clearing that was in the middle of a bamboo grove. He stopped at the edge of the trees and looked around. He seemed disappointed that it was empty.

"Don't worry, I'm here," Akane said coming up behind him. Ryan smirked as no matter how much he tried, she could always sneak up on him. Granted, she was a trained ninja and he wasn't. The two walked into the middle of the clearing and sat down.

"Miss Kinoshita gave me two extra peaches," Ryan said.

"She likes to do that for us," Akane said. "She adores us it seems."

"She's a nice old woman," he said. "I'm glad there are at least a few people around here that like me."

"Do I count as one of them?" Akane asked. She leaned over and kissed him.

"I think you count," Ryan said with a smirk.

"You think?" she asked as laid on her back. Ryan laid down next to her. He leaned down and kissed her. This kiss lasted longer.

Suddenly, a yurei appeared. This one was a woman dressed in traditional wedding attire. It was muttering something the two rangers couldn't understand. As soon as they moved, the yurei snapped its head in their direction. Akane felt as though it wasn't initially there for them just by judging that reaction. The two rangers pulled out their morphers.

"You can leave this to me," Ryan said. "I don't want you fighting."

"You can't do that to me," Akane said. "I'm a ranger too."

"But you're carrying precious cargo and I can't have either one of you get hurt."

"That's not your call," she said. "SUPER HENGE!"

Knowing he wouldn't be able convince her otherwise, he morphed as well. "GREEN RANGER POWER!"

Akane unsheathed her sword and sliced through the yurei. It dissipated into a mist like substance. Another one appeared and Ryan quickly dispatched it with his Dragon Dagger. Another one appeared but was taken care of with a kick to its head by Akane.

"Where are they all coming from?" Ryan asked.

"Aokigahara," Akane said. "It's home to the yurei, who are considered the footsoldiers of the Yokai army.

"What makes that forest so damn special?" Ryan asked.

"Long ago during times of famine, families were forced to leave children and elders out in the forest to die. People have reported being able to hear their voices in the wind."

"That's creepy as hell," Ryan said looking around for more yurei. "But isn't Aokigahara at the base of Mount Fuji? That's quite a ways from here."

"They're attracted to this town for some reason," Akane said. "The problem is that they show up in areas that are later hit with some sort of disaster. They were in Tokyo shortly before the big quake in 1923."

"Has there been reports of any in Nagasaki?" Ryan asked.

"Actually yes," Akane said. "The Hurricangers have been fighting them off. How did you know?"

"Do you remember me telling you about the super weapon America will use to end the war?"

Akane nodded. "Yeah, I've been wanting to ask but have been afraid to ask."

"I think the reason they've been in this area and in Nagasaki is because Hiroshima and Nagasaki are those two cities that are hit with the super weapon."

"What kind of weapon is it?" Akane asked. "Can we stop it?"

Ryan let out a breath. "The only way to stop it would be to prevent the planes from taking off. Even if the planes were to be shot down, the bomb could still go off. The only way to be sure is to stop their mission." Ryan felt like he had just betrayed his country. Technically, he had but it was a different country at the time and it was decades before he was born. Not only was he dealing with the betrayal feeling but he let out the big secret that would end the war causing him to ultimately changed the future.

Suddenly, a yokai slammed into the ground a few yards away. The two rangers stood in a battle ready stance as the air cleared, revealing the yokai. It was a skeleton yokai that was half white and half camo.

"Shit," Akane said. "It's Junior."

"Junior?" Ryan asked. "Junior what?"

"A very troubling yokai," Akane said. "Probably one of the most brutal of them all."

"I appreciate the description," the yokai said. "But you know damn well I hate that name. I'm Gashadokuro."

"As if we care about what name you want to be called," Akane said.

"If he's as ruthless as you say he is then we need to run," Ryan said. "We'd need the other four but I'm worried about you."

"Well that's touching," Junior said. He grinned even though his skeleton form had a permanent grin. He dashed between the two rangers, surprising both of them. He backhanded Ryan, who flew several yards back, before grabbing Akane by the throat and holding her against a tree. Ryan shot to his feet to attack but Junior threw out an energy beam that wrapped around Ryan.

"I'm going to kill your little girlfriend," Junior said.

"NO!" Ryan shouted. "Take me instead."

Junior sighed. "There is no 'instead'. It's just first and second. So it really doesn't matter because you're both going to die."

Akane's kicks did nothing against him. Ryan tried to push against the energy beam that held him but the more he struggled against it, the tighter it became. The yokai pulled on the beam and caused Ryan to fall over.

Out of nowhere, a yellow flash appeared and kicked Junior in the head, sending him flying. Akane fell to the ground and the energy beam disappeared. It was Ninja Yellow. He pulled out his sword.

"Both of you get out of here," he said. "I can distract him."

"Like hell...," Akane started to say.

"This isn't open for debate," he said. "I may not like the American but I'm going to try to make sure that the kid grows up with both parents."

"I'm not a fan of you either," Ryan said with a smirk. "Just so we're clear."

"Perfectly," Ninja Yellow said with some humor his voice. Ryan and Akane ran off while Ninja Yellow faced off against Junior.

"I just got a new idea," Junior said.

* * *

That night, Akane and Ryan laid in bed together. Akane cuddled up against Ryan who just patted her head as he stared at the ceiling.

"Did the others find him yet?" Ryan asked.

"No," Akane said. "They have no idea where he went."

"I should have stayed with him," Ryan said.

"He wouldn't have let you. He wouldn't want you to do anything foolish that could jeopardize our child's future."

"The future is already in jeopardy," Ryan said. "I need to get you out of the city before August. To be honest, I'd like to leave now but I know you don't want to leave."

"And you're right," she said. "I don't. You can help prevent the attack."

"I don't want to change the future," Ryan said.

"Why does that matter?" Akane asked. "Your life is here now. You have a family to care for now. So what if your time will be changed? You are here in this time."

Ryan knew she was right. He needed to let the idea go that he may one day return to his own time. There was no evidence to support that he'd ever return. Right now, his priority was his wife and unborn child.

* * *

Ninja Yellow stumbled through the woods before eventually dropping to his knees and resting against a nearby tree. Blood from his shoulder wound seeped through his yellow uniform. His heavy breathing became erratic.

"It's not really fair that he got her," he said to himself. "I'm stuck playing savior just to make sure she lives. Life can be such a bitch."

His hand dropped.


	5. Chapter 5

"I received a report that the Imperial Navy is on its way to intercept and destroy the USS Indianapolis," Akane said. Ryan just stared at the ground as he held his infant daughter, Kasane, in his hands. She was asleep, with her head on his shoulder. It was only after a few long seconds is when he nodded. Akane wasn't completely oblivious to his feelings. She knew all too well that he was torn between the future and his family.

Ryan thought back to the day he no longer felt like an American. He clearly wasn't Japanese so to him right now, it felt like he didn't belong. He had revealed the future altering truth to the Japanese. It was official they were going to take action. He did it to save the only two lives he cared about, his wife and daughter. While the needs of the many did outweigh the needs of the few, he acknowledged his selfishness by only wanting to save his family. He was going to have to deal with the consequences of his actions. Not just on a personal level but on a worldly one as such an event change would have lasting repercussions.

"The feeling of betrayal has lessened considerably," Ryan said. "Especially with Kasane being born. I was letting out the big secret to end the war. I'm essentially a traitor to my country and could be brought up on charges by the other rangers if I somehow return. If I ever faced the decision to betray my country or my daughter, I'd make sure I'd have the ability to betray my country."

Now it was Akane's turn to nod. "I can't imagine what it was like for you to make such a decision."

"Well, the future may be changed so from here on out, I don't know how things will turn out. The world may be worse off because we don't know the full power of the bomb and countries like the Soviet Union could just be flinging them left and right. However, the only way for this plan to work is for the USS Indianapolis to be sunk on it's way to the US base. Its mission was to deliver parts of the Hiroshima bomb to the base. It was sunk returning from that mission."

"Is it normal for American high school students to know military plans like that?" Akane asked.

Ryan chuckled. "No, but the story of the Indianapolis is famous. It's interesting to think about what could have happened had the ship been attacked before finishing its mission. But, it looks we're gonna find out."

* * *

Ryan stood on the Aioi Bridge and stared at the what would later become the A-Bomb Dome. It was still very strange to see the building intact, regardless of the fact that he had been in this time for almost a year. He was still slightly bothered by his decision. Things were done and he couldn't do anything about it now. The Imperial Navy was on its way to take down the Indianapolis and that would end the threat of the atomic bomb, at least for now. From this point on, everything was uncertain.

"HEY!" a voice called out in a demanding voice. Ryan rolled his eyes as he knew exactly whose voice it was. He turned around to see a group of soldiers strolling up to him.

"Drunk again, Sergeant?" Ryan asked. "You never seem to learn."

"I don't care how long you've been here or if you're a ranger. I will kill you."

Ryan laughed. "There you go again, trying to start something you can't finish."

"I can now," the sergeant said. His form began to change. Ryan watched in horror as the sergeant changed from a human into the skeleton form of Junior. The soldiers at his sides turned into various yokai.

"You've been here since I arrived?" Ryan asked.

"Longer than that," Junior said. "Once I finish with you, I'm gonna have my way with your cute little wife but that may be before or after I send your daughter out..."

"IT'S MORPHIN' TIME!" Ryan called as he pulled out his morpher, cutting the yokai off. "GREEN RANGER POWER!" He pulled out his Dragon Dagger and charged at the monsters. The other yokai ran at him to intercept him before he could reach Junior. He kicked and punched his way through the other yokai. Junior pulled out his own sword, made of bone, to defend against Ryan's attacks.

"Did I strike a nerve?" he asked. Ryan didn't respond. He just glared at him through his tinted visor. The other yokai came rushing in to attack Ryan's blindside. Multiple sparks erupted around them. All six Ninja Rangers came running onto the scene. The rangers engaged the yokai as Ryan squared off against Junior.

"Ninpo, Water Tower no jutsu," Ninja Blue called as a column of water rose from the river below and smashed into one of the yokai. The monster stumbled back but didn't have time to recover as Ninja Yellow rushed it.

"Ninpo, Triple Slash." Ninja Yellow drew his sword and sliced the air in the shape of a triangle. The energized attack struck the yokai, causing it to fall and explode.

Ninja Red and Ninja Black faced off against another yokai. They both came in, flanking the yokai.

"Ninpo, Shooting Star," Ninja Black yelled as he sliced the air in the form of a pentagram.

"Ninpo, Flaming Whirlwind no jutsu." A blast of fire shot out and combined with Ninja Black's attack. The yokai stood no chance of surviving the attack as it also exploded.

Ninja White and Ninja Pink stood in front of their yokai opponent.

"Ninpo, Sakura Blizzard no jutsu," Ninja pink called out. A flurry of sakura petals scattered around the yokai. The yokai was waiting for them to do something but nothing happened.

"Ninpo, Ku Character Slash," Ninja White said as she used the blade of her sword to write the hiragana character "ku" in the air. The energized attack hit the yokai and sparks flew out. The sparks ignited the combustible sakura petals in the air, generating a much bigger explosion. The yokai was engulfed in the explosion and nothing remained.

Ryan shot a green energy beam from the blade of his Dragon Dagger. It struck Junior in the chest and knocked him back slightly. Junior quickly recovered just in time to see Ryan charging. The two locked blades. Junior noticed the Ninja Rangers had defeated the other yokai and were gearing up to attack him next. He peered back at Ryan, who felt that the yokai's gaze could pierce his helmet.

"Remember this, Green Ranger. When dealing with ninjas not everything is as it seems," Junior said.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ryan asked completely confused by the sudden comment.

Junior headbutted Ryan and spun around and slashed Ninja Pink across the chest, piercing her armor and drawing blood. She fell onto her back as Junior leapt to a nearby vantage point. He saw Ryan rush to Akane's side as the other five rangers looked as though they were ready to attack the yokai.

"We're done here," Junior said before disappearing. The Ninja Rangers physically showed their frustration through various means before rushing to Akane who had demorphed. She was unconscious and there was a gash down her torso that needed immediate attention. Ryan scooped her up in his arms.

* * *

Akane laid on the bed with bandages covering her torso. Ninja White had treated the wounds and bandaged her while the other four Ninja Rangers stood guard outside. Ryan hadn't even demorphed yet. He wasn't angry at Akane for joining the battle, he was angry that thought he was going to lose her. He knew that Junior specifically targeted her because of their relationship. He looked down at the blood on his gloves and on the diamond chest plate of his shield. Seeing Akane's blood on him pissed him off even more. He was having a hard time protecting her and if she dies now, then his actions regarding the atomic bomb were all for nothing.

Ninja White stepped into the room after finishing with Akane. She had demorphed into her ninja styled clothes, still not revealing her real identity. All Ryan ever saw of her and the other four were their eyes.

"She's stabilized and needs rest so that wound can heal," she said. "We'll be extra vigilant to help you protect her and Kasane."

"I appreciate it," Ryan said. Ninja White patted Ryan on the shoulder. She started to head for the door. "Junior said something to me before he took a swipe at Akane."

Ninja White stopped. "What did he say?"

"He told me 'not everything is as it seems when dealing with ninjas.' I don't know what he means by that."

Ninja White shook her head. "I don't either. It's true we use deception as a weapon but you're an ally so we wouldn't deceive you, especially in the war against the yokai. There's nothing to be gained by it."

"He's the one that deceived us by impersonating the Sergeant for so long," Ryan said.

"Yeah, never suspected him at all. Sure, he was an asshole but so are a lot of officers. It never once crossed my mind that he was a yokai. Anyway, get some rest. We'll be nearby if you need us."

Ryan thanked her as she left. He finally demorphed before checking in on his sleeping wife. He proceeded into the next room where Kasane slept. He peered down at her tiny head as he gently rubbed it. She stirred before opening her eyes to look at her father.

"Looks like you're awake now," he whispered. He picked her and cradled her in his arms. It wasn't long before she closed her eyes again to sleep. He sat in the darkness of the room as he rocked slowly back and forth with his daughter in his arms and cried.


	6. Chapter 6

A shadow appeared over Kasane, who immediately started to panic. Even as an infant, she could sense the trouble that was present. She started to cry as the creature reached for her. It's demonic hand reached for Kasane's head.

Suddenly, the creature was slammed against the wall by a morphed Ryan. He realized it was the Darkness. He grabbed the creature and pulled it outside to get it away from his daughter. Ryan did more defensive moves to keep his distance. He realized there was something different than before with the Darkness. This time it was fighting back rather than just taking the beating like it usually did. He wondered who had been possessed this time.

Akane sprinted from the house, pulling her morpher out. She took the standard transforming stance as she prepared to activate it.

"SUPER HEN..."

"NO!" Ryan shouted. "I've got this. Stay with Kasane." Akane was reluctant but obeyed her husband's order. It didn't look like he was losing at all but it seemed to be a relatively even match. Akane also noticed the Darkness was on the offensive and not acting as it usually did. She did notice something familiar about it. She recognized the creature's fighting style. It took her a moment to fully register why she recognized the style. It was Ninja Yellow's style. At first, she thought it was mimicking the style but that wasn't a trait it had done before. In previous battles, the creature took on traits of the person it possessed. That's when it really hit her. The Darkness had possessed Ninja Yellow.

"IT'S NINJA YELLOW!" Akane said. Ryan leapt backward to give himself some space. He watched the creature prepare itself for another attack.

"If that's true, then you need to get Kasane and get out of here," Ryan said. "I don't want you to be in any position to be possessed."

"But..."

"DO IT NOW!"

Akane did as she was told. She ran back inside and a moment later reemerged with her daughter in her arms. She took one last look at the two battling it out before sprinting off. Ryan felt a little more comfortable now that Akane was out of the area. He hoped the other Ninja Rangers would arrive soon to help out.

The Darkness charged again and Ryan decided it was time to actually fight back rather than just block and avoid attacks. He used his Dragon Dagger to swipe at the creature. He then kicked the creature backward before blasting it with the beam from his blade.

After the smoke cleared from the blast, Ninja Yellow appeared. Ryan still stood in a defensive stance. Ninja Yellow appeared different than before. His uniform was torn and covered in blood. There were multiple wounds, with a major one located on his shoulder. Ryan wondered just how long Ninja Yellow had been possessed. Then he remembered Junior's comment about something not being as it seemed. This must've been what he meant. With Ninja Yellow possessed, it meant that he was dead with no chance of being saved.

Ninja Yellow pulled his sword and charged. The two rangers slammed their blades together. Ryan wasn't sure if the possessed ninja still retained the other ninja abilities aside from just the fighting style.

The possessed Ninja Yellow took a stance and put its hands together. That answered his question.

"Ninpo..."

Ryan ran up and kicked Ninja Yellow across the face before it could attempt the attack. Ninja Yellow slammed into the ground. It attempted to get up but Ryan slammed it back to the ground with his foot. Ryan didn't hesitate to shove his Dragon Dagger into the helmet of the possessed ranger. He viciously pulled the weapon through the top of the skull, hoping it would be enough to keep it from getting back up.

Ryan let out a sigh before noticing that the other four Ninja Rangers were standing there in shock. He knew they weren't aware of Ninja Yellow's possession and probably assumed that he had just killed their comrade.

"Shit," Ryan said to himself.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Ninja Red asked. "After all we've done for you, you betray us?"

"This isn't what it looks like," Ryan said. "He was possessed by the Darkness."

"LIES!" Ninja Blue said.

The four rangers sprinted in to attack Ryan, who knew he wasn't going to last long against four rangers. He sheathed his Dragon Dagger in hopes it would show them he wasn't going to actively fight them aside from defending himself, which was going to be difficult in of itself.

"Ninpo, Water Tower no Jutsu," Ninja Blue said as a column of water came from the nearby river and slammed into Ryan, who had no chance of dodging it. As soon as that attack ended, he was on the receiving end of several boulders that came from Ninja Black's Rock Hell attack. He was also struck by countless white origami cranes that felt like getting hit with multiple shuriken. He knew that to be Ninja White's Dance of the Paper crane ability. He jumped into the air to avoid the attack but was kicked back to the ground by Ninja Red who also shot out a blast of fire, using his Flaming Whirlwind ability.

Ryan was struggling to get back on his feet but he still managed to do it in a less than eloquent fashion. He noticed that the four Ninja Rangers had him surrounded with their swords drawn.

The four of them slashed the air, performing their signature sword techniques and launched them simultaneously. Ryan was struck from all sides by the attacks. His body went limp as he started to fall forward, sparks erupting from all over his armor before he ultimately demorphed. The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Akane protesting the attack and running to him, pushing the other rangers away.

* * *

Ryan awoke in his bed. He was disoriented, unsure of where he was for a few moments before everything rushed back, flooding his thoughts with images of the battle. He thought for sure he was done for. His body was bandaged up in places and very sore. Akane entered the room and once she saw Ryan was conscious, she felt a sigh of relief. She rushed over and hugged him.

"What happened?" he asked. "I thought the other rangers were going to kill me."

"They almost did but I stopped them just in time," Akane said. "I explained what had happened before they arrived and they were more inclined to believe me than you."

"That part is obvious," Ryan said. "They really let me have it. Even if I seriously fought them, I wouldn't have stood a chance. How long was I out?"

"A little over a week," she said. "I was worried at first that you wouldn't survive."

"It'll take a little more than a few pissed off ninjas to take me down," Ryan said with a smile. "But not much more."

Ryan stood up despite Akane's protest. He wrapped his arms around her, something Akane realized she had missed. She tightly hugged him back. The two shared a kiss.


	7. Chapter 7

Ryan shot up in bed covered in sweat. He wasn't sure if it was from the heat or his dream. He looked around the room and focused on Akane next to him to ground himself. She leaned up after sensing his distress.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Just a bad dream. I saw a figure targeting rangers. The only specific thing I remember is the figure was a ranger but the uniform was based on the pink ranger of my team. I don't know, it was such an odd dream but it freaked me out."

Before Akane could respond, an air siren went off. Ryan's gut instantly became twisted. Ryan ran outside and looked to the sky. He couldn't see anything. He saw it was half past 7 but it was after the 6th of August. This could be just another false alarm as there had been several of those for some time now, it didn't negate the fact there was a bad feeling in his stomach. After the all-clear was given, Akane came out with Kasane in her arms.

"Akane," he said. "Listen to me, I want you to take Kasane and go into the mountains."

"Isn't this just another false alarm?" she asked.

"For the moment," Ryan said. "I have a very bad feeling about this. The plan to sink the Indianapolis was only a setback. I hoped it would be enough to deter them from using the bomb."

"What about you? What will you do?" she asked.

"I'll stay here and if there are planes headed our way then I'll use the Dragonzord."

"But our zords have flying capabilities," Akane said.

"Yes, but only Ninja White's Falconzord would be useful. You couldn't form the Ninja Megazord without your Crane zord. And I don't want you anywhere near here. The Ninja Rangers are needed to help fight against the Yokai."

"I can't leave you," Akane said.

"You can and you will," he said. "If I fail, then I want you to keep on living and raise our daughter."

"But..." Akane said. Ryan grabbed her and pulled her in for one more kiss. He planted one on his daughter's forehead one final time.

"Go, now!"

Akane, with tears coming reluctantly turned and sprinted away. Ryan watched her until she was out of sight while fighting back his own tears. He knew he may very well die in the blast if he couldn't stop it. This was the only thing he could think to do to save his family. He may not be a part of their lives after today but they at least could keep on living.

"It's morphin' time!" he said. He held his morpher in front of him, activating it. "GREEN RANGER POWER!" He wielded his Dragon Dagger to play the tune to call forth the Dragonzord.

"Oh no you don't," a voice said interrupting his playing. A fist blindsided him and sent him rolling back. Ryan rolled to his feet and faced his opponent. It was a black ranger sporting a design he had never seen before. The visor was black with a sideways crescent shape. The uniform was black with the exception of the shoulders and upper chest that also had a black crescent.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Ryan asked.

"That's my line," the black ranger said. "I'm here to stop you from changing the future."

"I've already done that by delaying the bombing," Ryan said.

"Yes, but all that changes are a few dates in the history books. You can't change history altogether by preventing the bombing of Hiroshima. You have no idea what the world becomes without these bombings. The deaths from the bomb are necessary to the future."

"From my standpoint, the future isn't written yet," Ryan said.

"You naïve little prick," the black ranger said. "I am part of the Time Force Rangers from the future and I know what will happen if you change it."

"Well, you're gonna have to kill me if you want to stop this bomb," Ryan said. He knew the bomb being dropped was quickly approaching so he was going to have to run to buy time. He stood up to run but was immediately cut off by the black ranger.

"While killing you would be easier, I'm under orders to bring you back alive," the black ranger said. He sprinted forward and kicked Ryan across the face. "But that doesn't mean I can't beat you within an inch of your life."

"God damn it," Ryan said. "You don't understand what you're doing."

"No," Time Force Black said. "You're the one that doesn't understand. Just because you want to save these people doesn't mean it's the right thing."

"Then why didn't you go further back and get me when I first arrived?"

"We tried as soon as we saw a discrepancy in the time stream but there is so much magic surrounding the points in time that it makes it impossible to travel to those times. Bandora's magic is extremely powerful."

Suddenly, Ryan could hear the buzzing sound of planes but not see them. He spotted a B-29 Superfortress emerge from cloud cover and flew through the sky uncontested. Then two more emerged behind it. While there were military installations in Hiroshima, there was no anti-aircraft artillery capability to defend against the bombings.

"Shit," Ryan said. He brought the Dragon Dagger to his mouth to summon the Dragonzord. Time Force Black stopped him once again.

"You don't listen, do you?"

"Not when I have people to protect," Ryan said. He fired a green beam from his blade but the black ranger dodged it. He leapt into the air with two swords raised above his head.

"Double Vector: Beat Twelve." He brought both swords down in a slashing motion. Ryan played his Dragon Dagger to create a shield against the attack. The energized sword attack struck the shield but the attack was a little more than Ryan could handle. He was tossed back by the explosion.

Ryan got to his feet. He knew the bomb would be dropped in a matter of moments. He had to do something. He once again tried to summon the Dragonzord but Time Force Black kept interrupting him. The two struggled with each other, trading blow for blow. Ryan's Dragon Dagger clashed with Time Force Black's dual swords.

"Time is up," the black ranger said. "It's time to go back."

"I'm not..." Ryan started to say but his attention went the sky behind his opponent. He saw something fall and his eyes went wide. He had failed to stop the bomb. The idea of his wife and daughter dying in this blast infuriated him. He wanted to take that anger out on his fellow ranger. He pushed the swords to the side and with his free hand, he punched the black ranger across his face. He then took a swipe at him with his weapon, sparks erupting from the impact across the ranger's back. Time Force Black winced in pain. Ryan wasn't finished. He kicked the black ranger in the back. He wasn't giving him any time to retaliate. He punched the black ranger in the face once again but this time it was straight on and with all of his might, cracking the visor.

Suddenly, there was a piercing brilliant flash of white light.


	8. Chapter 8

Ryan pulled himself from the rubble. He was lucky he was still morphed. The force of the shockwave was something he never expected. The survivors' stories he had heard did no justice to the actual experience. Once he was clear of the rubble, he looked around. It was pitch black and with the exception of the fires, he couldn't see much. He wondered if he had been unconscious for hours or if the blast cloud just blocked out the sky. Considering how close he was to the hypocenter, he was virtually unscathed. His body was incredibly sore but he didn't appear to have any broken bones or gashes. Judging by the feel, it didn't seem that his skin suffered any burns either.

Dead bodies surrounded him. He wondered if the Time Force ranger had survived or not. He didn't really care either way as his priority was to find Akane. He started walking through the debris, not really know which direction he was going. His sense of direction was screwed up as he couldn't see any landmarks to determine his location.

He heard the cries of people in the darkness, pleading for help. He couldn't do anything for them. He saw many stumbling past him, some with glass sticking out of their bodies and others were losing their skin as it looked like it was melting from their bodies. One older woman came up to him, almost falling into his arms.

"Help me," she said. It was Miss Kinoshita, the woman that would always give him a little extra fruit for him and Akane. Despite his firm grip on her, she slid from his grasp and fell to the ground. Only her skin remained in his hands. He stared wide-eyed at her corpse. All he could think about was Akane and his daughter suffering the same fate. Tears began to run down his face. He couldn't get that image out of his head. He started to look for his family.

His emotions were running high and he did his best to keep them in check so he could think clearly. That was easier said than done. Seeing more victims, he couldn't help but think of his wife and daughter in that same state. He switched his visor to night vision mode, which turned the black visor to a metallic green color. He had a better view of the damage and no words could describe this hell on earth. He picked up on a power signal underneath some debris. The only time his display would pick up something like that was if it was linked to the Morphing Grid. He cleared away the debris and his throat went dry. It was one of the Ninja Ranger morphers. This one had pink accents, signifying it was Akane's. He gripped it tightly and held it close. He had to find her. Putting the morpher in his belt, he began his search again.

He started to move like a lost child that can't find their parents. He couldn't properly run as the entire area was just a debris field. There was no clear path to walk, let alone run. He stopped running and looked around. He didn't know where he was. All he could see was death and destruction. He looked at his blood and flesh covered gloved hands before tightening them into balled fists. He punched a fallen tree that was completely charred. The impact shattered part of the tree. He picked up the remains and tossed them away as far as he could. To vent more of his anger, he picked up some building debris and also tossed it aside. Underneath the wall he had just thrown, he saw the corpses of several school-aged children. He dropped to his knees and let out a vicious howl filled with pain and sadness. He fell forward onto his hands and cried. He repeatedly punched the ground.

"God damn it," he said.

"You're not going to give us any trouble, are you?" a voice said. Ryan snapped his head in the direction of the voice. His blurred vision caused him to only make out two people, a blue and pink ranger. He stood to his feet while trying to blink away the tears as he couldn't wipe them away through his helmet. He figured they were the Time Force pink and blue rangers considering how they were talking to him.

"That depends on you," Ryan said. If you help me find my wife and daughter and bring them to the future then everything will be fine."

"Everything won't be fine," the pink ranger said. "We can't exactly just bring someone from the past and into the future."

"You guys sure as hell didn't have a problem with dropping a ranger in the past to stop me from interfering with the bombing," Ryan said.

"That's inconsequential to what has happened here," the blue ranger said. "No one is going to care about two rangers fighting when the atomic bomb was dropped."

"I'm not going to leave my family," Ryan said.

"Chances are they didn't survive the bombing," the pink ranger said.

"Why couldn't you just leave me here to live out my days?" Ryan asked.

"I'd assume that answer would be obvious," the pink ranger said. "You're from the future and you don't belong here. You've fucked up the timeline enough as it is. We would have gotten you sooner but Bandora's magic is a bitch to deal with."

"Your black ranger said the same thing," Ryan said. "It's still bullshit though."

"Where is Black?" the blue ranger asked.

"I don't know," Ryan said. "We fought and once the bomb exploded I lost track of him. Not that I really gave a shit about him. He's the reason I couldn't save my family."

"Actually, he was under orders to stop you," the pink ranger said. "You should know better than to mess with the time stream."

Ryan saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised he could notice anything in this darkness. It was another Time Force ranger. This one was green. He was carrying a person on his back. It was Time Force Black.

"Black is dead," the green ranger said. The pink and blue rangers were visibly shocked by this. "His helmet was compromised and didn't survive the blast."

The pink ranger shot her head in the direction of Ryan. She pulled out a pair of dual swords, similar to the ones the black ranger used. She was held back by the blue ranger.

"You son of a bitch," she said. "You killed him."

"No, the blast killed him," Ryan said. "If you would have let me protect people then he wouldn't have died."

Suddenly, Ryan was grabbed from behind and slammed into the ground. His arms were painfully repositioned behind his back. He felt something wrap around his wrists, binding his arms together. He tried to break free but there was no chance of that. He was lifted back to his feet to see the Time Force red and yellow rangers had arrived.

"Normally, I wouldn't have been so rough but you did have a hand in the death of our friend so I'm sure you understand."

"You guys lost your teammate," Ryan said. "I lost my wife and daughter."

"They weren't supposed to be your wife and daughter to begin with," the pink ranger said. "Hell, your daughter wasn't even supposed to exist."

"Going by that logic, does that mean your teammate wasn't supposed to die in the Hiroshima bombing?" Ryan asked knowing it was going to piss her off.

The pink ranger stormed toward Ryan, breaking free of the blue ranger's grasped and pointed one of her swords at his face.

"You have no idea the amount of restraint I'm putting forth to keep me from beating your head in," the pink ranger said.

"You can't even comprehend the hell I've been through since I've been here. You think you could stop me? Your teammate couldn't completely stop me. If you want to have a go then I'm game. I've lost both sisters, the rest of my team, my wife and my daughter. You think I have anything else to lose? I will fuck you up."

"It's time to go," the red ranger said gripping Ryan's arm tighter. "Prepare for a jump."

"No," Ryan said. "I can't leave them. I have to find them."

"They're dead," the pink ranger said. Using the tight grips of the red and yellow rangers as leverage, Ryan brought up his knee and smashed it into the chin of the pink ranger. The yellow and red ranger slammed Ryan into the ground as a means to restrain him further and as punishment for his attack. The yellow ranger held Ryan's head down in the dirt. Had he been unmorphed, he probably would have suffocated. The pink ranger almost immediately recovered from the strike, she cocked her arm back to attack with one of her swords.

"Pink, stop!" the red ranger ordered. "We're jumping, now."

Despite Ryan's protests, the group of rangers disappeared from the ruins of Hiroshima in a color-coded flashes of light.

The End


End file.
